Kalbarri, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Kalbarri is a coastal town in the Mid West region located 592 km north of Perth, Western Australia
. The town is found at the mouth of the Murchison River and has an elevation of 6 metres (20 ft). It is connected by public transport to Perth via Transwa
coach services N1 and N2.
people inhabited the area for thousands of years and have a dreaming story about the Rainbow serpent forming the Murchison River
as she came from inland to the coast.
The first European people to visit the area were the crew of the trading ship belonging to the Dutch East India Company
, the Batavia, who put two mutinous crew members ashore near Bluff Point just south of the town.
The cliffs near the river mouth were named after another trading ship, the Zuytdorp, that was wrecked there in 1712.
The area became a popular fishing and tourist spot in the 1940s and by 1948 the state government declared a townsite. Lots were soon surveyed and the town was gazetted in 1951. Kalbarri was named after an Aboriginal man from the Murchison tribe and is also the name of an edible seed.
feeding, the Kalbarri National Park
, Murchison River Gorge
and the Murchison River
. There are two charter boats to go on to view the Murchison River. The town attracts 200,000 tourists every year with the population of the town swelling to 8,000 during holiday seasons.
The Kalbarri National Park
is home to a phenomenon of geography and geology known as the Z Bend
, a walking track, and "Nature's Window", a rock formation overlooking hundreds of kilometres of Murchison River. The Rainbow Jungle (The Australian Parrot Breeding Centre), located a few kilometres south of the town centre, features hundreds of exotic species of birds in their native habitat plus a walk-in cage allowing humans to interact with the birds. Red Bluff and other coastal cliffs and formations are located south of the town.
Recreational fishing is also popular, with good catches being taken from the beaches at Wittecarra Creek as well as from the numerous cliffs.
Kalbarri is now one of Western Australia's premier skydiving locations with the recent addition of Skydive Kalbarri. Skydive Kalbarri offers tandem skydives over the Murchison river mouth. A scenic flight can offer views from Geraldton to the Abrolhos Islands, taking in some of WA 's most breathtaking scenery, taking you up to 14,000ft for a thrilling free fall ride followed by a tranquil canopy ride landing on the beach.
when character Ben Mitchell (Nathan Phillips
) was airlifted to hospital from Kalbarri Airport
.
Skydive Kalbarri
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
. The town is found at the mouth of the Murchison River and has an elevation of 6 metres (20 ft). It is connected by public transport to Perth via Transwa
Transwa
Transwa is Western Australia's regional public transport provider, linking 275 destinations within Western Australia, from Kalbarri in the north to Augusta in the south to Esperance in the east along with the regional centres of Bunbury, Kalgoorlie, Northam, Geraldton and Albany.Transwa is...
coach services N1 and N2.
History
The local AboriginalIndigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
people inhabited the area for thousands of years and have a dreaming story about the Rainbow serpent forming the Murchison River
Murchison River (Western Australia)
The Murchison River is the second longest river in Western Australia. It flows for about from the southern edge of the Robinson Ranges to the Indian Ocean at Kalbarri. It has a mean annual flow of about 200 million cubic metres.-Course:...
as she came from inland to the coast.
The first European people to visit the area were the crew of the trading ship belonging to the Dutch East India Company
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
, the Batavia, who put two mutinous crew members ashore near Bluff Point just south of the town.
The cliffs near the river mouth were named after another trading ship, the Zuytdorp, that was wrecked there in 1712.
The area became a popular fishing and tourist spot in the 1940s and by 1948 the state government declared a townsite. Lots were soon surveyed and the town was gazetted in 1951. Kalbarri was named after an Aboriginal man from the Murchison tribe and is also the name of an edible seed.
Tourism
The town is geared towards tourism and fishing, with attractions including the daily pelicanPelican
A pelican, derived from the Greek word πελεκυς pelekys is a large water bird with a large throat pouch, belonging to the bird family Pelecanidae....
feeding, the Kalbarri National Park
Kalbarri National Park
Kalbarri National Park is located north of Perth. The major geographical features of the park include the Murchison River gorge which runs for nearly 80 kilometres on the lower reaches of the Murchison River...
, Murchison River Gorge
Murchison River Gorge
Murchison River Gorge is a riverine gorge in Mid West Western Australia. Carved by the meandering lower reaches of the Murchison River, it is more than 80 kilometres long, and up to 129 metres deep...
and the Murchison River
Murchison River (Western Australia)
The Murchison River is the second longest river in Western Australia. It flows for about from the southern edge of the Robinson Ranges to the Indian Ocean at Kalbarri. It has a mean annual flow of about 200 million cubic metres.-Course:...
. There are two charter boats to go on to view the Murchison River. The town attracts 200,000 tourists every year with the population of the town swelling to 8,000 during holiday seasons.
The Kalbarri National Park
Kalbarri National Park
Kalbarri National Park is located north of Perth. The major geographical features of the park include the Murchison River gorge which runs for nearly 80 kilometres on the lower reaches of the Murchison River...
is home to a phenomenon of geography and geology known as the Z Bend
Z Bend
The Z Bend is a popular tourist lookout on the Murchison River Gorge in Western Australia. It is located at , about 30 kilometres east of Kalbarri, in the Kalbarri National Park. One of four lookouts in the national park, it is situated on a sharp bend in the gorge...
, a walking track, and "Nature's Window", a rock formation overlooking hundreds of kilometres of Murchison River. The Rainbow Jungle (The Australian Parrot Breeding Centre), located a few kilometres south of the town centre, features hundreds of exotic species of birds in their native habitat plus a walk-in cage allowing humans to interact with the birds. Red Bluff and other coastal cliffs and formations are located south of the town.
Recreational fishing is also popular, with good catches being taken from the beaches at Wittecarra Creek as well as from the numerous cliffs.
Kalbarri is now one of Western Australia's premier skydiving locations with the recent addition of Skydive Kalbarri. Skydive Kalbarri offers tandem skydives over the Murchison river mouth. A scenic flight can offer views from Geraldton to the Abrolhos Islands, taking in some of WA 's most breathtaking scenery, taking you up to 14,000ft for a thrilling free fall ride followed by a tranquil canopy ride landing on the beach.
In popular culture
Kalbarri was featured at the end of the film Wolf CreekWolf Creek (film)
Wolf Creek is a 2005 independent Australian horror film written, co-produced and directed by Greg McLean. The story revolves around three backpackers who find themselves held captive by a serial killer in the Australian outback...
when character Ben Mitchell (Nathan Phillips
Nathan Phillips
Nathan Phillips is the name of:*Nathan Phillips , Canadian politician*Nathan Phillips Square, the plaza in front of Toronto, Ontario's City Hall named in honour of the above*Nathan Phillips , Australian actor...
) was airlifted to hospital from Kalbarri Airport
Kalbarri Airport
Kalbarri Airport is an airport in Kalbarri, Western Australia. The airport opened on 22 September 2001, and is jointly owned by the Greenough and Northampton shires. The total construction costs for the airport was $1.7 million...
.
See also
- Kalbarri AirportKalbarri AirportKalbarri Airport is an airport in Kalbarri, Western Australia. The airport opened on 22 September 2001, and is jointly owned by the Greenough and Northampton shires. The total construction costs for the airport was $1.7 million...
Skydive Kalbarri